Almost, almost
by poryu
Summary: He had almost thought they would be able to escape, to make it out alive. After all, nothing had ever managed to bring them down before. Ever. But then, he supposed there was always a first for everything. It was only too bad that this first... would also be their last.


Heart racing, chest heaving, he opened his eyes, exhausted gaze flitting over the object he held in his trembling hands.

The gentle rays of moonlight filtering in from above the treetops reflected off the many sharp edges of the silver metal, casting random slivers of light on the forest grounds all around him.

But he paid his surroundings no mind, focusing only on trying to contain the horrendous storm raging within him. At some point, the gun slipped slightly out of his fingers, and he immediately tightened his grip, eyes once again drawn to the weapon he held.

Eyes that were darkened with and pinched with anguish stared down the muzzle, narrowing, squinting, as if trying to catch a glimpse of the silver treasure nestling within the unseen depths.

The silver treasure that his heart would soon have the pleasure of meeting.

The shaking vampire let his head loll back against the rough bark of the tree he was propped up against. Pants and strangled gasps continued to pour forth from his lips, racking his battered body and subjecting it to even more physical shock than it already had been.

But the overwhelming pain that was currently drowning him had nothing to do with any of his physical wounds. Not the multiple bullet holes riddling his torso and limbs, nor the broken bones that had, uncharacteristically, yet to begin healing.

No, it was not from any of those.

Without any warning, another wave of immense grief and pain surged over him, choking and suffocating as it held him immobile in its cruel grip, forcibly replaying the memories in his mind over and over and _over and over _again.

The gunshots.

The blood.

The cries.

And then...

_Him..._

_'_No... no more...,' he rasped, imploring his mind to stop its malicious actions. It was almost laughable, how pathetic he was at this moment, barely able to move, begging with his own mind to stop torturing him. If his old acquaintances could see him now, well, they would never be able to recognise this pitiable sorry-looking figure collapsed against a tree.

But he didn't care. What did it matter what others thought? If it would just stop...

Regardless, the assault was relentless, and after an initial moment of resistance, he simply gave up, letting his head hang limply as the images continued on with full force.

He had almost thought they would be able to escape, to make it out alive. After all, nothing had ever managed to bring them down before. _Ever._

But then, he supposed there was always a first for everything.

It was only too bad that this first... would also be their last.

A pained sob erupted from his throat, distracting him momentarily from his thoughts. Although he did not realise it, a trickle of blood followed quietly, but swiftly, on its heels.

They had been so, _so_ close to escaping, he thought miserably.

Almost, almost...

But then, the final shot had rung out in the silence of the night.

And even if he had not sensed _him_ falling, the sudden chill that had instantly gripped his heart had been a dead giveaway.

Literally.

The vampire let out another sob, the blood flowing down his chin now thicker and larger in volume. He scarcely noticed, so lost in reliving those harrowing moments that the sensation did not even register.

He had tried to get to _him._ To offer his blood to save _him._ Even though he had known it would be a futile effort, he would have emptied all his arteries and veins to save _him_. He would have done anything, _anything._

But fate was cruel.

He had no chance to hold his lover one last time.

No chance to touch his lover one last time.

No chance to see his lover one last time.

No chance to even say goodbye.

He could do nothing as the one he loved crumbled into fine dust, right before his eyes.

Their tormentors had laughed then, watching him sink numbly to his knees, eyes wide in horror and grief, body shuddering under the onslaught of both his physical and emotional pain.

They had left him there, knowing that it was already all over. That they had already won.

And they were right.

One pale hand left the gun, unsteadily reaching out to sift through the pile of fine dust on the ground next to him. It was soft and warm, almost like he was running his fingers through _his _hair. _His_ smell still permeated the area, and it was almost as if _he _were still here, still alive and by his side.

Almost, almost...

But 'almost' would never be enough.

Scattering the handful of dust lovingly over his body, his hand returned to the gun, joining its pair as it shakily lifted the weapon to press against his chest, right over where his stuttering heart lay.

Tired wine eyes flickered over to the pile of dust, a faint smile grazing his lips as his eyelids slowly fluttered shut.

_See you in a while, Zero._

XXX

Birds that had finally managed to calm down after the previous chaos took to the skies in a flurry as yet another piercing shot echoed through the forest.

And although they would not comprehend why, this would be the last one for a long, _long_ time.

With their departure, a gentle wind made its much-awaited entrance through the area, whisking away the scents of blood and gunpowder, as if it were doing its very best to wipe the area clean of the violence that had stained it so thoroughly. Bloodstains, well, _those_ it could not touch.

As it glided silently through the darkness, two piles of dust rose up from the ground, enticed by the wind's alluring call. As they followed along with their new master, they whirled and circled around one another, swaying along to an unheard slow, steady rhythm, almost like two ethereal lovers locked in a sweet, ever-lasting dance.

_Almost, almost..._

* * *

**Disclaimer: **The two lovely characters are from **Matsuri Hino**'s **Vampire Knight**! :)

**Author's Note: ***sheepish wave* Hey, guys! I know I've been gone for some time, and I'M SO SORRY GUYS. I promise I'm still working on Switched right now (really!), but that's taking some time and I'm crumbling under the pressure from Real Life right now. This little story came to mind and it's also to tell all my fans out there that I'm still alive hahaha. This isn't really related to my other story, or to Blackened Wing's story, at all. And the context here is deliberately unexplained, so you don't know exactly what's happening, how and why they're being attacked etcetc. Isn't that fun LOL. And you might be wondering how is it possible that Kaname and Zero can be brought down so easily. Well, there may be certain powers and charms at work, things we've never heard of, etcetc, so yeah, keep an open mind :) My focus was more on the feelings. And it didn't turn out exactly as I pictured so I wanna edit this if I have time someday. :)

Anywho, ramblings aside, I hope this short little story did something for you, emo as it was :) If you enjoyed it, please leave me a little review so I know. Same for any comments. Thank you very much for reading this :)

(I MISS HAVING THE TIME AND LUXURY TO JUST SIT DOWN AND WRITE ALL DAY T.T)


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